Hey, Marie -

I'd like to hear how Lady in Red does in your garden, and where you site it. I've had one for a year or 2, and it's not much to look at right now! Maybe it will improve with age? Or maybe I didn't site it well, it was on sale at Mahoneys last year, and I went a little overboard - bought stuff I had no space for.

Or, maybe this was not a good year for that particular one ... some varieties are doing much better than normal this year, but others went by way too fast.

I have a few in the City Line series. The tags are gone, but they're pretty easy to tell apart. A pale pink looks awful, but the deep blue and purple ones are stunning together (if you like that kind of thing, which I do). I might move the pale one to a shadier location - those are in full sun.

Marie,
I do have City Lights 'Berlin' and for me it is an extraordinary hydrangea but if your friend has mentioned hardiness issues in your zone you might be happier with the lacecap H. 'Twist and Shout' as it is part of the Endless Summer Series and would be more reliable for you. kt

Hey, Marie - Watch out for that hydrangea addiction . . . more varieties are being created, including rock-hardy ones that even I can grow with my cold temps and river valley late spring frosts. I do so love seeing all of them blooming at this time of year when so little else seems to be blooming in my garden!

Ditto what DtD said about 'Lady in Red.' I think this is the third season for this in my garden. Started out small and has stayed small. Mine is in half sun in a sheltered spot, but I think I may need to move it and give it a try elsewhere before shovel pruning.

I got a 'Twist and Shout' this spring because I have had good luck with my regular 'Endless Summer', which blooms longest of any of my hydrangeas. 'T and S' has bloomed all summer; I'll see how it comes back in the spring and if its performance in future years equals this summer's. So far I really like it, however.

Re: LiR
After 5 years it's 6'tall x 8'wide.
The most attractive of all H.macs in a fall with its colorfull foliage and bright red aged sterile flowers (it blooms blue in my acid soil).
To achieve such effect it has to be planted in a position with an adequate sun exposure. I'd say 3-4 hours a day.
Not reliable bloomer in z5.

Re: City Line series.
NONE of them are hardy enough to bloom in z5 without winter protection.
However, Paris and Vienna due to their smaller statue are excellent subjects for container growing and overwintering in coldframes/garages. Also, due to the fact that in containers you could create soil with any desirable pH you could make them bloom in colors of your choice.
Paris produces the most vivid red and Venice the most vivid purple.

Re: Vanilla Strawberry
If you would like to get advertised color, plant it in no less than a full sun.
After two years (from a 6-8" twig) it's about 4' right now. Strong grower with strong canes. Seems like a good subject for training into tree form.

Re: TaS
For z5 it could be a solution to 'a reliably blooming lacecap' issue, but for z6 there are plenty of more showy (IMO) lacecaps.

Marie - I second nhbabs "watch out". The addiction happens fast! I bought an Endless Summer original a few years ago. It didn't do much for the first 2 or 3 years. I forgot about it, stepped on it by mistake, etc. Then last year it bloomed and it was glorious.

One year later I have another Endless Summer Original, 2 Blushing Brides, 2 Twist and Shouts, 1 David Ramsey, 1 Purple Tiers, 1 Limelight tree, 1 Little Lime, 1 Little Lamb, 1 Blue Billows, 1 Blue Bird, 1 Lets Dance Starlight, 1 Let's Dance Moonlight, 1 Forever and Ever Together, 1 Red Sensation (Forever and Ever I think), 1 Mini Penny, 3 Annabelles, 2 Masjas, and 1 Quickfire. And I'm plotting some new purchases...

Hi All,
Well, "hydrangea" in the subject line gets quick responses. I had forgotten there is a hydrangea forum; those are enthusiastic people. We have our own hydrangea club here, too, I see.
I've had "Annabelles" for many years on the north side of the house; they bloom very well. I notice them when they are upright. After a big rain they flop, but then I can't see them from the kitchen window at all, so I forget to let it annoy me. I simply can't be bothered to figure out how to rig up girdles for these 4 huge bushes.
I also have "tardiva", which didn't like the heat and dry this summer, and my favorite oakleaf sp. The burgundy in the fall stops me short everytime. I bought h.q."Alice" two years ago, and it has gotten big, but I'm very surprised that it has had but one flower....at the base....this year. It can have all the time it needs...does it bloom on new or old wood? I can't remember
I just bought one h.q. PeeWee, and I want another as facer plants to viburnum plicatum tomentosum sp. (a huge lovely plant)
Switching to viburnums, when I got Lady in Red I also bought v.p.t. "Shohoni" to add to sp and "Mariesii". I could have a yard full of viburnum and hydrangeas and be pretty happy, as long as I had a few trees too (heptocodium, styrax 'pink chimes' (thanks to dtd),a chamy and ...and...and...

I was tempted for a minute to return "Lady in Red", but realized that not everything can be 100 % certain, and thought of the plants I'd have never grown because others found them tempermental or less than stellar performers.

ejr, where did you find all those other ones you list? You must have gone on line, because certainly no bricks and mortar nursery around here carries half of what you have. Do you have a favorite mail order source or are you lucky and live in hydrangea heaven?

Kt, I debated on T & S, but there was only one LIR and a dozen of T & S. I figured when I go back in a week, T a S would be available but LIR might not be. Looks like a great plant.

One thing I like about Dirr's 'hydrangeas for American Gardens' is his usual frank assessment of all hydrangeas.He does plug the excellence of the U of Georgea's breeding program, and by extension the hydrangeas he's been involved in creating. But he's clear that there are too many released too soon, that the nomenclature is a mess, and there's too little- if any- difference between many of them which get new names anyway.

As Katherine White would say "Onward and Upward in the Garden." To this I add my "!"
Marie

Marie - I found almost all of them locally - Westons, Mahoneys, McCues, Stonegate, Home Depot, Lowes, Avant Gardens (a little farther afield). The Let's Dance ones I found in Southern NH - went there for hostas. Only the Masjas were mail ordered - tacked onto a mostly perennial order from Bluestone Perennials (I think they were $6 - couldn't reisit)

I realized I forgot few others - Preziosa, my Oakleafs (Snowflake and two that are probably Snowqueen), and my climbers (3 anomala petiolaris, 1 miranda, and 1 Schizophragm hydrangeoides). They were also purchased locally with Russells and Wagon Wheel added.

ejr, we must be neighbors. I visit most of those places several times a summer, with the exception of hd and l's. They aren't particularly close, though when I read about the bargains people get at Lowe's I should just go up the highwayand look. You might add to the list Gerards. on Rt 2, rightnear the intersections of 2 and 128. He has one Isawtoday called "Woodlander" that got good write ups. But it was is full price and expensive. When he has a sale again I'll see if it is there and reduced. (if you haven't purchased it) Seasons Four (Mass ave, Lex) and New England Nurseries (Bedford rt 62) carry the usual, and NE Nurseries stock is in HUGE pots. I really don't want to buy 50 dollar hydrangeas.

I imagine Stonegate has a good variety.
Marie

Hi Marie - we are neighbors, and haunt the same places. I forgot about Gerards - thanks. I've been thinking about Woodlander but also not in the market for expensive plants. If one of us gets it maybe the other can get cuttings. I have your email from the swap and will email if I get it.

As I've been driving around I've been noticing nice hydrangeas. There's one near me that's a great blue/purplish mophead. I saw the owners and complimented them. They didn't know what kind it was, but said I can come by and take cuttings. Yeah! I'll have to read up on how to root them. If it works I'll be happy to share. I also saw a great blue lacecap today that still seems to be in it's glory - all of mine have turned over. I just missed the owners, but I may try catch them to see if they know the kind.

I have a T&S that I love and will be glad to share. I think some of the lower branches are even starting to get roots. Just email me, but be patient because I'm known for being slow getting back to email.

I'll be near Peabody tomorrow and may stop in at Northeast Nurseries. Have never been there before. I get Groupons but for some reason don't seem to get any of the ones for nurseries that other people seem to get.